An imminent face-off between the Narendra Modi government and the Naveen Patnaik government was averted Wednesday after the state government relieved 1977 batch IPS officer Prakash Mishra for appointment as special secretary (internal security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

A notification from the state Home department said Mishra has been relieved for central deputation with immediate effect. Mishra would have two years to go for retirement. Before this, Mishra worked at the Centre as a special director of the National Investigation Agency and DG of NDRF.

On Juy 31, the MHA had notified the appointment of Mishra, who after working as the Orissa DGP for two years was suddenly shunted out by the state government on July 5.

Though the state government in December 2013 placed Mishra’s name in the offer list for central deputation, it had withdrawn the offer in May citing acute shortage of officers in IPS cadre. Though Mishra’s name was being considered for the position of special director in CBI, it did not happen.

Mishra was shunted out a day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to CM Patnaik over the phone and recommended Mishra’s name for the post of special secretary in the MHA. Rajnath was reportedly impressed with Mishra’s performance over controlling Maoist menace in Orissa. However, a miffed CM transferred Mishra from the post of DGP to a relatively inconsequential post of CMD of the Orissa State Road Transport Corporation. Patnaik replaced Mishra by Sanjeev Marik, a relatively junior officer with a controversial past as new DGP.